DefenseNews

Russian Navy ships visit China ahead of joint drills

BEIJING — A pair of Russian Navy ships are visiting China as the countries reaffirm their military ties amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Cold War-era frigates Gromkiy and Otlichnyy arrived in the financial hub of Shanghai, China’s largest city and biggest port, on Wednesday for a seven-day visit. Following the port call, the ships will conduct joint drills with their Chinese counterparts…
Read more
DefenseNews

US Army taps RTX for $117 million infrared sensor deal

WASHINGTON — RTX, until recently known as Raytheon Technologies, won a contract to manufacture forward-looking infrared packages for installation aboard U.S. Army tanks and other vehicles. The low-rate initial production deal for 3rd Generation FLIR B-Kit sensors is worth…
DefenseNews

Pacific Fleet goes to Washington: How Adm. Paparo will refine the Navy

The nomination of U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo to be the 33rd chief of naval operations could herald a renaissance in the CNO’s staff office not seen since the 1980s in terms of strategic and operational focus for the fleet. Since the end of the Cold War, the naval service and its uniformed and civilian leaders have pursued a budget-based strategy, seeking to preserve the best…
Read more
DefenseNews

Striking workers at key Boeing supplier approve new contract

WICHITA, Kan. — Workers at Spirit AeroSystems have ratified a new contract and will end a brief strike that threatened to disrupt the manufacturing of airline jets at Boeing. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the 6,000 employees at a…
DefenseNews

US State Dept. clears $5.6 billion sale of F-35s for Czech Republic

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department approved a possible sale to the Czech Republic of F-35 aircraft, munitions and related equipment worth up to $5.62 billion, according to a June 29 announcement. The sale, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, would include 24 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin, RTX and Boeing. “The proposed sale…
Read more
DefenseNews

Autonomous drones may help Air Force slash aircraft inspection times

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is experimenting with a mix of drones, artificial intelligence and cloud collaboration to find ways to slash the time it takes to inspect aircraft for wear and tear. In trials backed by aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Near Earth Autonomy, a developer of drone operating systems, service technicians at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii are launching…
Read more